


share with me your words of wisdom, oh wise one

by Tabicat (softglows)



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: (or at least...i try), Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Crack, Dialogue Heavy, Fluff, I have never worked in the food service industry, It's more likely than you think!, M/M, Meet-Cute, Restaurants, Romantic Comedy, Waffle House, asians? running my southern waffle house?, k NOW i'm done with tags, lol pinch of salt. geddit? wow i'm so punny, no beta we die like men, not that it matters too much tbh, set in the amrican south, so take this fic with a pinch of salt, soonyoung's co-workers are done, unconventional forms of flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-05 20:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19047904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softglows/pseuds/Tabicat
Summary: It starts with 4 college buddies working late-nights at a southern waffle house and one (1) sleepy boi whose curiosity may or may not be piqued(OR AKA: that one fic where Wonwoo visits a 24-hour waffle house at around 2 AM and Soonyoung has no control over the words that escape his mouth.)





	share with me your words of wisdom, oh wise one

**Author's Note:**

> hi guys! It’s been over a year since I entered a writing hiatus, but here I am, right back at it again, under a new account and a wish to start anew. When I opened up my word processor for the first time in a long time I found the concept outline of this fic titled as ‘pls complete me,’ but I never actually wrote for it until a few days ago. I’m shabby. I don’t know if this is actually funny but I wanted to try. The old inspiration behind this fic was based off a tumblr post I saw a long-ass time ago, cataloging quotes from unlikely film sources and I thought it would be a cute basis for a fanfic. I used the setting of a waffle house because, well, I've heard so many stories about it’s late night charm. I’ve never experienced it myself, but from my other friends’ experiences, people don’t go there for the food--they go there for the company. So here it is and here I am, one year later.. It’s a bit dialogue heavy, which is honestly different from what I usually write, but ah well. I hope you enjoy this, as much as I had fun writing it—it’s not meant to be taken too seriously, so have fun.
> 
> And this is for you especially, Roselyn. For being supportive of me getting back on my bullshit. This fic has been long overdue, and while it’s not the fic I promised, I hope you like it all the same. <3

Let’s begin with the fact that Kwon Soonyoung _loves_ his summer job.

There’s nothing like the atmosphere of working a dead man’s shift in a southern waffle house. Truly.

Where else can he fool Mingyu into making him a plate full of hash browns at 2 AM? The carbohydrate-rich delicacy smothered with sautéed onions and covered with thick cheese sauce.

Definitely not in the comforts of their shared apartment!

And where else can he break out into a public duet with Seokmin? Both of them crowing loudly along to hits like “Billie Jean” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” the frequent disturbances met with cheers from slightly buzzed customers and other night owls floating on cloud nine.

The answer is _nowhere_. Soonyoung’s pretty sure these wild behaviors aren’t acceptable in the real-world of professionalism. And at the sweet, tender age of 22, he’s not sure if he’s ready to shed his youthful performances _just_ _yet_.

So to Soonyoung, the waffle house is his second home; filled with friendly faces and strong aromas of southern-style comfort food... he can be himself, and for now, that’s enough.

 

 _Ping!_ The serving bell rings, and Soonyoung turns around just in time to see Mingyu peeking out of the serving window of the kitchen. A dopey smile sits on the cook’s face as he pushes forward a hot meal.

“Order up! One biscuit with sausage and gravy!” Mingyu cheerily announces as Soonyoung collects the platter. “Tell the customer that I hope they enjoy their meal!”

“Will do, chef!” Soonyoung salutes dutifully and with that, Mingyu retreats, leaving Soonyoung to watch as the cook returns to his place behind the range.

“How you haven’t dropped dead as a doorknob is beyond me,” a bored voice intones, and Soonyoung turns around in the middle of sucking his gravy-dipped finger to find his manager, Lee Jihoon, adding coins into the register— the man not bothering to meet Soonyoung’s gaze. “Surely all that grease can’t be good for you,” Jihoon continues dispassionately.

“Awww, so you _do_ care!” Soonyoung coos as he proceeds to stuff half a biscuit into his mouth. “Is my wellbeing important to you, Jihoonie? Are you finally coming to terms that you _do_ love me?”

The question is enough to pry Jihoon’s attention away from the current task at hand, if only to shoot Soonyoung a look of ire.

“No, I just feel bad for your parents because they’d have to fund your funeral, and dying in America is expensive as hell.”

“That answer is not valid,” Soonyoung huffs as he stabs into his sausage and takes a vicious bite, making sure to hold eye contact with Jihoon who unblinkingly stares back, unimpressed. “And I haven’t keeled over with a heart attack yet because I try and eat healthy during the day! I’ve earned this Jihoon! _Earned it!_ Let me live!”

“Let yourself live first,” Jihoon throws back, eyeing the plate balanced on Soonyoung’s left hand with a barely concealed grimace.

“Rude,” Soonyoung pouts.

“My apologies,” is the only dry remark Jihoon responds with before giving all his attention to the register.

“Anyway, I _try_ to eat healthy during the day time and I _dance_ , so that also helps,” Soonyoung shrugs as he continues chewing on his food. “But don’t you try to judge my health habits when you literally run on Coke and coffee to give you the illusion that you’re a functional human being!” he jabs his fork in the direction of his manager when Jihoon peers upward with a blank gaze. Soonyoung waves the piece of silverware menacingly as he squints his eyes.

Jihoon snorts, indifferent with his co-worker’s threat.

“And when did I claim that Coke and coffee successfully give me my humanity?”

“Well, _never_ actually— but that’s not my point!”

“I think we can all agree that we’re here on Earth for a _good_ time and _not_ for a long time,” a deep voice heavily intones, causing Jihoon and Soonyoung to jump in their spots.

The two had been so preoccupied with their conversation that they hadn’t noticed a customer enter the premise. With a glance, Soonyoung takes in the presence of their new fellow night owl.

He’s a tall and lean young man— perhaps their age, if not a little older. His young, could-be-good-looking features are marred with exhaustion— sleepy, glazed eyes stare on blankly from behind the lenses of round-framed glasses. He dons a baggy shirt and sweatpants, making Soonyoung wonder if the poor guy just tumbled out a bed after battling a losing struggle with going to sleep.

_Maybe he has insomnia?_

“No offence, but you don’t look like you’re having a good time,” Jihoon bluntly states; he too studying the young man with judging eyes.

“Don’t mind him,” Soonyoung quickly intercepts the conversation before the sleepy man can open his mouth. “He feeds off of negativity. Don’t let him sour your mood,” he proceeds to flash a friendly grin, the customer blinking blearily back as a response. Jihoon, meanwhile, lets out a huff of disbelief.

With deft fingers and excellent spatial memory, Soonyoung blindly locates a menu from a nearby stack of menus and asks, “do you want to sit here at the counter, or would you prefer to pick your own table?”

“Um,” the customer’s speech fades into a deep hum as he takes a sluggish glance at his surroundings, finding the sitting environment full of lively conversations. “I suppose the counter will be fine,” the young man settles on a decision, turning back to find Soonyoung’s beaming face. He squints his eyes slightly for just a brief second, as if staring at Soonyoung’s brightened features amount to the same effect of staring directly at the sun.

“Excellent! Take a seat!” Soonyoung directs, slapping his hand against the serving bar’s surface. The customer takes a seat on the nearest bar stool while Jihoon lets out another snort.

“Oh my God, what’s with you and making sulky noises?” Soonyoung pouts, partially rounding his attention to Jihoon. Jihoon makes a disgruntled face.

“I’m not _sulky_. Right now I just don’t know why you’re patting the counter like he’s gonna climb over it and use it as a chair.”

“See what I mean!” Soonyoung theatrically complains to his customer who watches on with an awkward and slightly confused smile. The young man’s eyes are still somewhat glazed, as if he’s trying to keep up with his surroundings but the exhaustion is just far too tempting to not give in. _“There he goes again,_ finding faults in everything!” Soonyoung continues to babble, “Jihoon-let-me-live challenge, failed.”

“You know what? I’ll _gladly_ leave you alone,” Jihoon says with a tone of finality and stalks off to the direction of the kitchen doors, establishing that the conversation with Soonyoung is over. He pushes the doors with bravado and within a second, the manager’s voice can be heard ringing quite clearly.

 _“Hey!_ _Hao!_ _You better not be canoodling in the pantry with Noodle Legs! Get back to the sinks! You too, Mingyu! The grill needs to be bricked!”_ from the corner of Soonyoung’s eye, he catches his customer jump slightly in his seat, face transforming into a slight cringe at the sound of raised voices.

 _“But there aren’t any more dishes to clean!”_ a defiant voice argues back.

_“Tables three, thirteen and seventeen have been vacant for the past ten minutes! Go clear them up!”_

Barely a few seconds pass before the kitchen doors open again, and out marches a scowling waffle house employee whose mop of dark hair is disheveled. In his arms he’s carrying a large plastic tub for collecting dirty dishes. When the kitchen doors open again, Jihoon is peering out with a victorious smile on his face.

“How can someone so tiny hold so much power?” Soonyoung’s customer muses absentmindedly once the manager disappears back into the kitchen, and Soonyoung whips around to stare back with astonishment.

“Oh thank God I’m not the only person who notices the unfair disproportion between his height and the authority he carries!”

“Truly an amazing sight to behold,” the other young man nods solemnly.

“One day there will be a rebellion,” Soonyoung murmurs, leaning in and changing his voice into a conspiratorial whisper. The stranger leans forward to catch the diner worker’s words. “It will be the first ever rebellion to take place in this waffle house, and it will be _grand_ . As the saying goes, **_authority should derive from the consent of the governed, not from the threat of force._ ** **” [1]**

When Soonyoung pulls away, he finds his customer gaping at him with slowly widening eyes— as if the young man had been given a rejuvenated quality of vision and couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“I…that is…that’s actually so _thoughtful?”_ the young man proceeds to shake his head wildly. “Write that down on a napkin! I might just use that for an essay! You’re brilliant!”

“Erm, not to burst your bubble, but write what down?” Soonyoung asks, taken back. “My plot for rebellion?”

 _“What?”_ the customer asks, squinting. “No, no, not _that_ ! I’m talking about that quote you just said! The last bit. The part about authority, something-something, consent of the governed…That was _brilliant!”_

“Oh,” Soonyoung blinks, surprised, but retrieves a napkin anyway. Reaching into the pocket of his apron, he pulls out a pen and begins to scribble the little saying without tearing through the napkin’s thin material. “There you go,” Soonyoung says as he pushes the paper-cloth forward and watches with amusement as his customer picks it up excitedly.

The eagerness is short-lived however, when the young man lowers the napkin, a slight frown on his face.

“Is something wrong?” Soonyoung asks with concern.

“Yeah, just a tiny problem. It’s not a big deal, but do you happen to know who says the quote? It’d be better if I had a source.”

“Ah,” at this Soonyoung chuckles and stalls for a brief second, his customer patiently eying him—the cloudy, unfocused haze had left the latter young man’s eyes.

 _Do I really want to expose myself here and say it’s from_ Toy Story 3 ? _Do I really want to say that it was Barbie who said it? Ah, what to do…_

Soonyoung clicks his pen. Once. Twice. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you,” Soonyoung finally replies as apologetically as he can muster. “I came across it a while ago while doing peer revisions with another student,” he lies easily through his teeth and watches with relief as the fellow student facing him nods in understanding. “The quote has stuck with me ever since.”

“It’s cool, don’t worry about it. The quote is still usable! You just saved my life tonight!”

“You’re taking summer classes then?” Soonyoung asks, putting on a sympathetic face. “You poor soul.”

“I regret my decisions, but my roommate didn’t want to be alone on campus this summer. I figured I might as well be productive if I stayed.”

“And yet here you are,” Soonyoung grins as his customer raises a questioning eyebrow. “You’re _here_ , at the least productive place on Earth, instead of working on this essay that I’m assuming is due soon, if not tomorrow,” Soonyoung wiggles both of his eyebrows in a playful manner.

“Oh, I think I deserve a break,” the customer rolls his eyes before pushing forward his menu. Soonyoung’s then blinks, confused.

“You didn’t even look over it!”

“My friend already recommended me to try what he usually gets,” the young man shrugged. “I’ll take a Sprite— I could use the sugar, but I really don’t want to deal with the caffeine-induced headache in a few hours that comes with drinking Coke. And I’ll take a burger too, with some bacon on the side.”

Soonyoung finishes scribbling the order down on his notepad and proceeds to repeat the order out loud for accuracy’s sake.

“So a Sprite, a hamburger, and bacon on the side. Gotcha! Do you have any preferences for your burger? Mustard or mayonnaise? With or without cheese?” Soonyoung clicks his pen and patiently eyes his customer who gives a second to consider his choices.

“I’ll have the typical stuff; lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions… I think I want mayonnaise— and make it with _cheddar_ cheese! None of that fake-cheese American Singles processed shit,” the customer grins slightly as Soonyoung lets out a loud snort.

“Noted,” Soonyoung nods as he starts to rip out the page from his pocket journal and goes over to the kitchen window, clipping the sheet on a clothes pin… _Ping!_ Soonyoung taps at the little bell nearby.

“About time!” Jihoon calls out, approaching the window to retrieve the order. “I was about to think you scared him off. It wouldn’t surprise me if you did,” the manager teases as he reaches for the slip of paper.

“I’m just keeping it friendly!” Soonyoung pouts. “It’s called Southern hospitality. You should read up on it sometime,” he lets out a giggle as Jihoon’s eyes roll.

“Yeah, yeah. Southern hospitality, sure. I’m too Yankee-blooded for that though, so no thank you,” as Jihoon steps away to leave, Soonyoung clutches at his chest.

“And there Lee Jihoon goes,” Soonyoung theatrically states, looking around to meet his customer’s entertained gaze. He notes how his customer appears slightly more awake in comparison to before, and Soonyoung decides that he’d like to keep the energy flowing. “He leaves me as cold as Northern winters, so unforgiving like December’s ice…” he finishes his mini soliloquy with a wink, and the young man watching offers a lazy applause.

“A true poet,” the young man drawls as Soonyoung gives a dramatic bow and leaves for the nearby soda machine.

“So what’s your name?” Soonyoung tosses over his shoulder as he waits for the cup to fill up.

“My name is Wonwoo.”

“Well Wonwoo,” Soonyoung walks back over to the bar counter and slides the glass across the surface. He rests his palms on the counter’s edge and leans forward. “Let me tell you something. **_The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma.”_ ** **[2]**

“Really now?” Wonwoo’s mouth quirks even further upward as he sips on his Sprite. “Or maybe you’re just bullshitting me?” at this, Soonyoung scoffs, making Wonwoo chuckle. “I guess I’ll just have to keep coming around to see if you’re really right,” Wonwoo casually continues.

“That’s offensive,” Soonyoung intones, but his words carry no signs of real hurt, making Wonwoo break into a full-out grin. “I refuse to have my intellect challenged this way!”

“Mmmm, I’m afraid I’m going to have to challenge your intellect if I’m to believe you, Smarty-Pants,” Wonwoo counters smoothly, eyes glittering mischievously under the warm-toned, yellow lights. “Convince me. Prove me wrong. Share with me your words of wisdom, oh wise one.”

And for a second, Soonyoung stands there, stunned.

Wonwoo is leaning forward in his seat, an indication that he’s truly invested in hearing what comes out of Soonyoung’s mouth. Any trace of exhaustion on Wonwoo’s face have suddenly become subdued—giving way instead to a newfound expression of alertness. There’s a playfully challenging glint in Wonwoo’s eyes—the corners of the fellow student’s lips still pulled upward in a teasing grin.

Soonyoung thickly swallows, and the gears in his head begin to rapidly move in a vain effort to churn out any sort of valid response.

_Oh no…he’s actually hot when he doesn’t look like he’s seconds from death._

“At a loss for words?” Wonwoo asks, his cheeky smile going a bit lopsided and twisting into a smirk as he lets an eyebrow arch questioningly.

Soonyoung panics. Caught in the heat of the moment, his brain goes into the little filing cabinet filled with iconic movie quotes and blurts out, **_"The greatest weakness of most humans is their hesitancy to tell others how much they love them while they're alive."_ ** **[3]**

 _Fuck, really Soonyoung? Love? Optimus Prime?_ Transformers _? You fucking mess._

Soonyoung tries to offer the most natural grin he can muster, hoping that his facial expression isn’t marred with an obvious wince, and Wonwoo stares back, slack jawed. It’s obvious the latter wasn’t expecting that answer either, and the thought of it kind of makes Soonyoung want to drop everything and just hide inside the walk-in freezer.

Perhaps Jihoon would finally be a good bro and not tell a soul about how Soonyoung decided to test the theory of cryogenic freezing.

Somewhere nearby there’s a sound of a throat loudly clearing, and the two pin their attentions to the dish washer boy that Jihoon had chased out of the kitchen.

Xu Minghao stands there, just outside the kitchen doors, eyeing them both with concern.

“So uh, you good there Soonyoung?” Minghao asks awkwardly. “Do you need to, you know… _talk to someone?”_

Soonyoung flushes with embarrassment.

“Nah, I’m good Hao. Just sharing some good ol’ classic words of wisdom!” Soonyoung adds in a laugh that ends up sounding _fake,_ even to his own ears. “You know, just ‘cause that’s what I’m good at— being deep and sentimental, amiright?”

_Soonyoung-shut-the-fuck-up challenge, failed._

“Uh-huh,” the dish washer narrows his eyes for a second before continuing with, “Yeah, sure, I guess.” Minghao’s skeptic look morphs into one of curiosity, before he turns to face Wonwoo and offers the customer a sunny smile. “Hey Won! What made you finally decide to visit this hell hole?”

At this, Soonyoung’s mouth drops open at this new development.

_Wait, they know each other? Minghao has friends? Outside of Waffle House Crew? Since when?_

“Junnie finally convinced me. He said that this is a pretty good place to mentally check-out if I need to. He wanted to come tonight, but he has an exam later in a few hours so I forced him to go to bed,” Wonwoo pauses and shoots Soonyoung a thoughtful look. “Although, I have to say; this hell hole so far hasn’t been too bad.”

“Agree to disagree then,” Minghao replies, eliciting a laugh from Wonwoo—the sight making Soonyoung go slightly bug-eyed because _wow, the guy’s nose scrunches when he laughs!_ “Anyway,” Minghao’s voice sharply cuts through Soonyoung’s thoughts. “Work is calling for me. Tell Jun I said hello, yeah?”

“I mean, you _could_ text him that yourself; we don’t live in the 1700’s, but sure I guess,” Wonwoo replies and offers a parting wave as Minghao good naturedly flicks him off and disappears through the kitchen doors.

“You know each other?” Soonyoung asks with bewilderment, and Wonwoo arches an eyebrow.

“Obviously. We’re friends through a mutual friend— my roommate, Junhui. You should know him. He says he comes here often.”

“Ah, Mr. Wen,” Soonyoung muses, suddenly picturing a boy his age with grape-purple colored hair and always wearing a sweet smile.“You know, now that I think about it, Minghao’s talked about you a few times before. I just always assumed that he made you up,” at this Wonwoo’s eyebrows furrow with amusement.

“Why would you…? You know what, never mind. Yes, I’m very _real_ and _you’re_ very _weird_.”

“Rude,” Soonyoung pouts.

Wonwoo’s eyes widen, perhaps wondering if his words didn’t carry with a playful tone he had intended to convey.

“No, no! Don’t take it wrong! It’s a good thing!” Wonwoo attempts to reassure the waffle house employee. “Having a strange mind is a good thing! You think uniquely. You’re obviously smart with a lot of things to say…”

At this, Soonyoung lets out a chuckle and ducks his head, bashfully smiling and hoping he doesn’t appear too ridiculous.

_I mean, they’re just film quotes, but alright. I’ll take it._

_Ping! “_ Order up!” Seokmin, one of the other chefs in the kitchen, cheerily announces from the serving window. He taps the bell again. _Ping!_

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Soonyoung calls as he makes his way to the window to pick up Wonwoo’s plate.

“Are you okay?” Seokmin asks with a lowered voice when Soonyoung comes close enough within whispering distance. “Hao said you were in a profound state of thought.”

Soonyoung groans. “Well tell Hao that he can shut his mouth and mind his own business,” he mutters with a blush. When Seokmin gives him a pointed look, Soonyoung sighs. “I’ll tell you all about it at the apartment, yeah?”

“I’ll hold you to it, Soonie,” Seokmin murmurs, and then he leaves.

“And here’s your long awaited meal,” Soonyoung says with a smile as he returns to his spot in front of Wonwoo. Wonwoo brightens and says ‘thanks’ before digging in.

At that moment, Soonyoung is saved from the awkward experience of watching Wonwoo eat as the door to the waffle house opens and in enters a large group of ten college-aged students; half of them mildly drunk.

The events are busy and yet simultaneously uneventful after that. Soonyoung disappears into the kitchen to recruit Jihoon’s aid in serving their new and rowdy guests— rearranging tables, taking orders, and walking around to ensure that the other customers aren’t bothered.  

He’s in the middle of getting a glass of water for one of the new guests that had accidentally (and drunkenly) dropped his beverage to the floor when he hears Wonwoo speak out for him, deep voice calling with a clarity as opposed to all the other voices that blend together in the room.

“Soonyoung,” Wonwoo says, and Soonyoung turns around to find the college student standing up and pulling out his wallet. “What’s the bill?”

“14.78,” Soonyoung replies easily as he approaches Wonwoo, having memorized the menu from heart. With a glass of water in his hand, he politely diverts his attention towards the jukebox at the far corner of the room and patiently waits as Wonwoo thumbs through a few dollar bills.

“Okay, so I have a ten and five ones for the bill and you can totally just keep the change,” Wonwoo begins, placing the cash on the counter surface. “And I have a separate $5.00 tip for you,” Wonwoo places the five dollar bill to the side and looks up to Soonyoung, grinning.

“Aw, thanks, man!” Soonyoung beams, slipping the tip into his pocket and putting down the glass of water momentarily so that he has a free hand to manage the cash.  Wonwoo follows him on his walk to the register.

“It’s no problem,” Wonwoo replies back, and when Soonyoung looks up, Soonyoung thinks he might just melt by the genuine softness of the other man’s smile. “You really made my night, so thank you,” Wonwoo continues.

Soonyoung nervously snickers.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Southern hospitality.”

“Well you’re doing great at it,” Wonwoo sincerely says. He then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a napkin. “Now I’ve got to head back. An essay doesn’t type itself.”

Soonyoung’s eyes widen, and then he flashes a bright unyielding grin.

“Good luck on that paper, Wonwoo!”

“Thanks Soonyoung— I’m gonna need it! Have a good rest of the night.”

  


“Alright, squad up!” Minghao orders the second Jihoon opens the door to their shared apartment.

“Hao, can’t this wait?” Mingyu whines as they follow Jihoon through the front door. The tallest of the five has his arms around Minghao’s neck, cheek pressed against Minghao’s hair, waddling as Minghao leads them to the sofa.

“Yeah, I smell like fucking grease,” Jihoon grumbles as Soonyoung walks in last. The shortest of the men locks the door before giving out a tired sigh. “And I wasn’t even the one behind the grill. It’s 4:30 in the morning and I just want to shower and maybe knock-out for a few hours.”

 _“Same,”_ Mingyu intones as he proceeds to lay down, using Minghao’s lap as a pillow. Soonyoung watches as Minghao proceeds to thread fingers through Mingyu’s hair.

“But Soonie has something to tell us,” Seokmin points out, joining Minghao and Mingyu on the sofa, sitting on Minghao’s other side.

“I really _don’t,”_ Soonyoung says, settling on a defensive tone as he walks towards the recliner. “Minghao just took what I said out of context.”

“Took what out of context?” Jihoon sighs heavily as he makes his way to the loveseat, sensing that their little meeting isn’t going to break-up anytime soon without having matters cleared-up and out of the way.

“Repeat what you said to Wonwoo when you were serving him,” Minghao instructs, and Soonyoung sighs.

“It’s no big deal. Literally, all I said was some deep-sounding quote from Transformers because Wonwoo asked for me to say something insightful.”

“So what the fuck did you even say that would cause Bleached Brain over here to hold an intervention at the ass-crack of dawn?” Jihoon demands, tone getting snappy. Across from him on the sofa, Minghao lets out an indignant sound.

“Be nice Ji,” Mingyu chides. “Don’t pretend that you’ve never dyed your own hair and had it soaked with bleach.”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Noodle Legs.”

“You guys!” Seokmin says with a raised voice, causing everyone to turn silent. “Soonie has the floor, be considerate!”

“Thank you, Seokmin,” Soonyoung drily comments with a bitter smile. “All I said was, and I quote, _the greatest weakness of most humans is their hesitancy to tell others how much they love them while they're alive."_

There’s a pause.

“I told you he’s not okay!” Minghao pipes up.

“Out of all the quotes in the world, why would you say _that?”_ Jihoon asks, wrinkling his nose and giving Soonyoung a critical look.

 _“I panicked,”_ Soonyoung proceeds to hide his face with his hands before parting his fingers to peek through. “ It’s called _gay panic._ Look, y’all aren’t blind right? We can all agree here that Wonwoo’s good looking!” He desperately looks to everyone around him.

“Mingyu’s cuter.”

“I didn’t see him at all.”

“I didn’t really get a good look at him.”

“The guy looked dead to me.”

“You’re all terrible friends,” Soonyoung groans. “But anyway, _yeah_ , I _panicked_ , and that was the first thing that slipped out from my lips. Fucking sue me. I’m sure y’all wouldn’t have been able to pull a better sounding quote on the spot if the person you were talking to was giving you a sexy-ass smirk!”

“Debatable,” Minghao muses, leaning back into the couch. “I would’ve just gone with a classic pick up line. _Is that a mirror in your pants? ‘Cause I see myself in them.”_

“How romantic,” Jihoon’s lips curl into a sneer. Minghao shrugs.

“It worked on Mingyu.”

Seokmin makes a noise between a cough and a choking sound  as Mingyu lets out a loud, irate squawk.

“Babe, I _love_ you. But if we weren’t already friends since elementary school, then there would’ve been no way that would’ve worked on me. I have _some_ class.”

“I mean, _alright I guess_ if your definition of class is bending me over the dining room table…” Minghao audibly mutters, clearly wanting to be heard.

“You’re both fucking disgusting and I’m never sitting at the table again,” Jihoon grumbles, shooting a look of disgust toward the couple on the couch. Aiming his attention to Soonyoung next, his stink-face doesn’t lift. “So you popped a mental boner at Wonwoo’s little smirk and said some deep shit about love. Is there a reason why he was asking you to quote stuff for him?”

 _“That’s the thing_ ,” Soonyoung grouses. “He _didn’t_ ask me to quote anything. I literally just quoted something off of Toy Story and he lit up like a lightbulb and told me to write it on a napkin so that he could add it to his essay! Did I tell him it was said by Barbie from Toy Story? Hell no! And now he just assumes that I’m this philosophical intellectual when really I just watch too many movies and TV shows over and over again to the point I have almost all the script memorized!”

Soonyoung lets out an exhale and looks around at all his friends who are eyeing him with varying degrees of awe.

 _“Soonyoung?_ An _intellectual?”_ Minghao wonders out loud to no one in particular and Soonyoung flashes his friend a petulant frown.

“Can’t picture it,” Mingyu finishes, amusement bubbling in his voice. Seokmin lets out a giggle and reaches over to playfully slap his palm against Mingyu’s chest, causing the three young men on the couch to break into fits of mad laughter.

“I think the eight hour shift has finally gotten to them,” Jihoon states mildly before looking over to Soonyoung. “Also; you’re a mess.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Soonyoung sighs, and Jihoon offers a small grin.

“Oh, I think you _do_ know. It doesn’t take much self-awareness to understand why you’re so embarrassed with yourself.”

“Thank you, Lee Jihoon.” Soonyoung grimaces. “What would I be without you?”

“Friendless, homeless and unemployed.”

  


Two days pass, and Soonyoung finds himself working the night shift at the waffle house. Clocking in at 8:00 PM alongside the rest of his roommates, he prepares himself for another eight hour shift.

He figures that tonight won’t be as busy, going by the current rain shower raging on outside.

Now standing once again behind the counter, Soonyoung can’t help but think of Wonwoo’s presence.

_And that was his barstool… Ah, get it together Soonyoung. He won’t be back tonight._

So Soonyoung busies himself with his routine.

Collecting orders and distributing meals.

Getting under Jihoon’s skin.

Occasionally going around and checking if the customers are well.

Getting under Jihoon’s skin.

Ordering food for himself.

_Getting under Jihoon’s skin…_

At around 11:40 there’s a lull in customer traffic. Only four tables are occupied, and soon the three kitchen boys flood out of their work space to enjoy their undetermined amount of freedom.

“Tonight’s a good night,” Mingyu sighs as he sits on top of the bar counter, holding onto a glass of orange flavored soda.

“Tonight is a _blessed_ night,” Jihoon corrects from where he’s leaning against the wall, looking at his phone.

Over at the corner of the dining area and crowding around the jukebox are Seokmin and Minghao discussing songs to play.

“Hey!” Seokmin calls out, and the three employees behind the bar look over attentively. “‘Come and Get Your Love’ by Red Bone, or ‘No Diggity’ by Blackstreet?”

“No Diggity!” Jihoon and Soonyoung simultaneously request. The two turn to look at each other and share expressions of amusement— Soonyoung flashing finger guns as Jihoon rolls his eyes, somewhat fondly.

There’s a sound of coins clinking through the jukebox’s payment slot, and after a few seconds, a beat begins to play. Seokmin and Minghao slowly leave the system, bopping their heads along to the music, a little bounce to their steps,silly grins on their faces.

Following the intro, the song’s first verse starts with Dr. Dre rapping, and it’s enough to urge Jihoon away from his little corner. The manager pockets away his phone, lips mouthing out words with little falter, arms swaying fluidly as he finds his own groove while he walks.

Mingyu remains happily seated on top of the counter, body swaying left to right, head nodding along as he hypes up Minghao and Seokmin who are readying themselves to dance. Soonyoung, not wanting to miss out on the fun, rushes from behind bar and starts jerkin’ his way to his friends, much to the amusement of everyone, employees and customers alike.

And then verse two hits, and Seokmin’s belting out _“Shorty got down, good Lord,”_ while dropping onto his knees, running his hands down his chest in what might be considered ‘sexy'. Their audience loses it, all while Minghao and Soonyoung branch off and do their own thing; the former working in some sharp footwork as Soonyoung jokingly shows off sensual body rolls.

There are wolf whistles, laughter, clapping and cheering as the three of them hold the spotlight— Soonyoung and Minghao specializing in dance while Seokmin sings unyieldingly, freestyling his movements as he goes along.

By the time the song finishes, Soonyoung feels elated— as if he’s stuck on cloud nine and he doesn’t think he ever wants to come down. He hugs Seokmin and Minghao hard— suddenly so thankful that he has friends who don’t mind being shameless alongside of him.

He thinks it’s a good night, until a familiar deep voice jolts him like electric.

“You really are full of surprises, aren’t you Soonyoung?” the voice asks, and Soonyoung jumps just as he’s peeling away from Minghao’s embrace.

“Wonwoo?” Soonyoung spins around, eyes wide in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

The man in question looks better tonight than how Soonyoung had last saw him. He looks healthy; better rested. His eyes are shining and he’s wearing nicer, casual attire that are dotted with drops of rain

“What? I can’t stop by for a little chat?” Wonwoo asks, raising a questioning eyebrow. “When I said I’d come around for your wise words, I meant it, and so here I am,” his lips pull into a sly grin.

“Did you— did you come last night too?” Soonyoung asks as Minghao slings an arm around his shoulders. When Soonyoung looks over, he finds that his friend isn’t even trying to disguise the smirk playing at his lips.

_You’re not sneaky Hao._

“I almost did,” Wonwoo shrugs and Soonyoung returns his attention to the visitor, “but I decided to text Minghao to know for sure. And what do you know? He tells me you all share the same work schedule— every other day, from 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM,” Wonwoo lets out an amused huff as he appraises Soonyoung from head to toe, making the employee flush and fidget. “So you’re a dancer _and_ a philosophical man filled with wise words? You really are something else.”

“Let’s take this to the counter, yeah?” Minghao suggests, nodding off to where their friends have gathered. Soonyoung shoots him a glare.

_I know you’re plotting against me, Xu Minghao. Don’t think I don’t suspect zilch. I’m onto you…_

As the three collapse onto barstools, Mingyu hands each of them a cup of iced water.

“So, I’m sort of facing a dilemma,” Wonwoo begins, eyeing Soonyoung seriously. Soonyoung, who’s in the middle taking a drink, peers around, only to find his friends huddled around them like the nosey, gossip-hungry demons they are.

“You really want to talk about this? _Now?”_ Soonyoung asks, looking back at Wonwoo as he lowers his glass onto the counter top. “We’re surrounded by evil spirits who are bound to turn this discussion into blackmail!”

Wonwoo looks around, assessing the curious eyes bouncing back-and-forth between him and his new acquaintance, and then shrugs as if the concept of blackmail were no big deal.

“I don’t mind. We can all learn something from this,” Wonwoo nonchalantly states and Soonyoung’s eyes widen.

“Yes, please do share your words of wisdom with us,” Jihoon says, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the counter surface so he can prop his chin up with the palm of his hand. “I’d like to be _enlightened.”_

It’s at this moment when Soonyoung remembers that while angry Jihoon is _frightening_ , happy Jihoon can be just as fear-inducing depending of the nature of his smile.

And current happy Jihoon is _terrifying_ , because all Soonyoung sees in his manager’s little grin are pointy kitchen knives, ready to poke holes at him when he least expects it.

Anxiously, Soonyoung lets his eyes dart over to Seokmin and Mingyu who are eyeing him curiously, and Soonyoung doesn’t even need to look at Minghao to know that the bastard probably has a smug look written all over his face.

 ** _‘Chaos is a ladder,’_** **[4]** a conniving Irish accent echoes in the depths of Soonyoung’s mind and Soonyoung supposes that the little voice is correct— that this is what happens when a _chaotic_ gay brain cell works with a _panicked_ gay brain cell and unfortunately these are the only two brain cells Soonyoung has to work with. Accepting defeat, he turns back to look at Wonwoo who has eyes only for him.

The stare is unnerving.

“Will you help me?” Wonwoo asks, and Soonyoung nibbles on his bottom lip.

“I really don’t have a choice do I?” Soonyoung mumbles, and  corner of Wonwoo’s mouth twitches.

“Well, everyone has a choice. I won’t force you to say anything if you truly don’t want to say anything, but then I’d have to question your claim of being…what was it you said to me yesterday? _An enigma?”_

Jihoon, who was in the middle of sipping from a mug of coffee, nearly spits his drink.

“You called yourself an enigma? _You said that?”_ Jihoon asks with disbelief, eyes round— amusement written all over his face. _“He said that?”_

Soonyoung’s eyebrows furrow as he points a glare to his friend. In his mind, he suddenly imagines himself brandishing a squeaky toy hammer and giving Jihoon a nice whack to the head.

_Bippitty-bop, you’ve got to stop. Lee Jihoon, you’re making this worse and I do not appreciate this disrespect…_

“Oh yeah. He said it with his whole chest,” Wonwoo replies, earning a response composed of snickers.

“Alright, you know what?” Soonyoung interrupts and all attention flies back to him. “Ask Soonyoung hour starts _now_.”

Soonyoung really tries to keep his façade of annoyance. _Really_.

His dignity is on the line, especially with all his friends knowing his dirty little secret… It’s just that when his gaze falls on Wonwoo, he can’t help himself— Soonyoung _smiles_. And Soonyoung smiles because Wonwoo is staring at him with mirthful eyes, lips pulled in a huge grin that makes _nose_ _crinkles_.

And this is when Soonyoung knows, in the back of his mind, that he’s absolutely _done_ for.

“Good! So I just recently met this person, right—”

_Oh God, he’s in love…_

“And this person is like…a star! A lively, _shining_ _star_. They have this charisma that I can’t help but be drawn to— there’s charm in their smile, in their laugh, in the words they say! Well, maybe sometimes I feel like what they’re saying is a bit...much, but it’s fine you know, because it’s the way they say it that’s charming. They’re so endearingly amusing and _bright_. So my problem is, is it maybe too soon to ask for a date? We only met a few days ago, but there’s something about their presence that I want to keep seeing, every day.” Wonwoo finally stops to catch a breath, and even he looks surprised at putting his feelings upfront.

_He’s in love with someone. Amazing. Great. Wonderful. And he’s asking you for advice. You, Kwon Soonyoung, who’s already falling head-over-heels for him, but life’s a bitch and the feeling’s 99.9% not reciprocated…_

“Well, sensei?” Jihoon snidely asks, and Soonyoung _really_ wishes for that squeaky toy hammer.

_Alright Soonyoung. Think._

“I think,” Soonyoung begins slowly, “I think you should just shoot your shot.”

“Shoot my shot,” Wonwoo echoes back, eyeing Soonyoung carefully. “Really? You think I should just go for it? I mean, me and the person barely know each other. I don’t even know if the guy is gay.”

 _I’m gay!_ Soonyoung thinks to himself, but keeps his mouth shut.

 _“This conversation is gay…”_ Jihoon loudly whispers into Seokmin’s ear. Minghao must have heard it too, going by the way the dish boy fails to hide his giggle and places his hand on Soonyoung’s shoulder. From the corner of his eye, Soonyoung can see Mingyu reach over and tug at Jihoon’s ear.

Assholes, the whole lot of them…

Soonyoung takes a sip of his water, if only to keep his fingers from fidgeting and to keep his mouth from going dry.

_And now I will give the advice that I won’t even take…_

“Well, I mean, think about it this way,” Soonyoung begins as he sets his glass down. **_“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,”_ ** **[** **5** **]** he then offers a tiny smile of encouragement, “so go and shoot your shot Wonwoo, and if they say no, you move on. No biggie, really. They just won’t know what they’re missing.”

“You know, you’ve got a point there,” Wonwoo grins, a bit lopsidedly. “I was thinking that too, but I guess the thought scared me. You just validated what needed to be done. So I guess, thank you.”

“Honestly, anyone could’ve told you that,” Jihoon snorts, but the words aren’t said unkindly. They’re teasing. Playful even, making Soonyoung look towards him with faux-annoyance.

“Oh yeah? Next time it’s Jihoon’s ask-and-answer time! Let’s see what quality advice you have to give!”

“I’m pretty sure it’ll just be an hour of him spitting out cold-hard truths and exposing bitter-tasting tea that’s hard to swallow but meant to be spilled,” Minghao intones with a hint of boredom.

Soonyoung chuckles as he watches Jihoon reach over and slap his palm loudly against the counter surface, right in Minghao’s space.

“Hey, don’t attack my boyfriend, Lee!” Mingyu says warningly, proceeding to tug at Jihoon’s ear again.

“I _dare_ you to touch my ear one more time, Kim.” Jihoon scowls, pulling away. “Try it and see if you can get away with not losing your kneecaps.”

“Seokmin! Protect me! Your mean cousin’s going to beat me up!” Mingyu cries out, proceeding to hide behind Seokmin’s form.

Soonyoung is too preoccupied with watching his friends bicker that he doesn’t notice Wonwoo’s hand reaching over to pat his knee gently. The touch sends an electric shock through Soonyoung, and his attention snaps to Wonwoo who eyes him with some amusement.

“I think I’m going to head out now,” Wonwoo says quietly, and Soonyoung tries hard to focus on Wonwoo’s face; tries not to be too mindful of the hand still placed on his knee. “The next time I see the guy, I’m gonna tell him.”

Soonyoung isn’t sure if he’s thankful when Wonwoo pulls his hand away and stands up to leave.

“Oh, you’re going now?” Minghao asks. “You didn’t even order anything!”

Wonwoo gives them all small grin. “Yeah, I’m not actually hungry. I just wanted to stop by and say a quick hello before getting back to the dorm.”

They all wish Wonwoo goodbye and watch as he leaves. It isn’t until the door shuts behind the visitor’s back does Soonyoung swivel in his seat to find three pairs of eyes staring him down intently.

“Y’all are very creepy,” Soonyoung mutters, feeling rather uncomfortable all of a sudden. “It’s very unsettling and I do not like it.”

“You literally quoted The Office at him,” Minghao deadpans as Soonyoung buries his face in his hands.

_“God, I know.”_

“That isn’t even the funny part,” Jihoon says, voice laced with amusement that makes Soonyoung want to die. ”What’s funny is that you gave advise _you. won’t._ _take_.”

“Today we mourn our fallen gay brethren,” Seokmin begins with mock-solemnity that makes both Jihoon and Minghao snort. “He didn’t shoot his shot or get that dick, but he _walked_ so Wonwoo could _run_.” Sooyoung whimpers and wonders what happened to the sweet Lee Seokmin he’s always known.

And then he remembers that Seokmin is Jihoon’s cousin and Minghao’s best friend, so he supposes the occasional roast makes sense...

“Y’all are mean,” Mingyu sighs, but there’s a gentle playful lilt to his tone that has Soonyoung peeking through his fingers. “Soonie is being an unselfish soul who doesn’t want to sabotage whatever plans Wonwoo has. I find it very noble! _Tragic_ , but noble.”

At this, Soonyoung lowers his hands and flashes Mingyu a grateful smile.

“Perhaps I trust one—one!—friend,” he says but then he hears Minghao’s fond laugh and Jihoons exasperated huff. Seokmin’s eyes are sparkling under the lights and Soonyoung knows their barbs have no real thorns to hurt him.

“Bet you my next paycheck that it’s Soonie Wonwoo is pining after,” Mingyu now slyly says and giggles when Soonyoung pouts.

“I take that back. I have no friends. All I see are backstabbers all around me!”

_“Aw, but Soonie—”_

**_"Do you think God stays in heaven because he, too, lives in fear of what he's created?_** **[6]** Soonyoung interrupts with the straightest face he can muster. It takes a moment for the quote to register, but when it does there are smiles fighting to breakout on all his friends’ faces.

“And where did you get that quote from?” Jihoon queries, eyes alight with curiosity and mirth. Soonyoung grins.

“Spy Kids, you uncultured swine!”

  


Soonyoung would be lying if he told you that he didn’t have Mingyu’s bet announcement replaying in his mind like some broken tape recorder. He would also be lying if he told you that he didn’t cling to that tiny hope; fragile and blossoming in one of the crevasses of his heart.

He knows that this is hardly love. It’s infatuation and curiosity and eagerness all rolled into one. It’s happiness and warmth that wraps it all together; but it feels like it could be love. Maybe. Possibly, in some alternate universe.

He’d be in denial if he refuted any claim of how his eyes dart to the restaurant's door every time the bell rings during his shift.

But Wonwoo doesn’t come, and one week turns to two, and two gives way to week three, and the delicate little flower of hope in Soonyoung’s heart starts to shrivel.

Seokmin notices, going by the concerned glances Soonyoung tries to ignore. Mingyu sneaks him extra buttered biscuits and Minghao’s teasing has turned into mild, gentle quips. But perhaps it’s Jihoon’s concern that stings the most— how Jihoon watches Soonyoung with a soft, solemn look every time Soonyoung’s head snaps to the direction of the entrance door, only to look away embarrassed and disappointed.

And Soonyoung knows— can feel Jihoon’s heavy gaze burn onto his body, and quite frankly it _sucks_ , so he stuffs the buttered biscuit into his mouth as a distraction as he assists his new customers.

The biscuit is warm and fluffy, but it crumbles in Soonyoung’s mouth like ash.

  


By the time week four comes around Soonyoung is determined to move on.

 _I’m young and hot and I don’t need a man!_ Soonyoung thinks firmly to himself as he huffs and enters the restaurant along with his friends, ready to start another dead man’s shift. _I will not wallow like a Victorian maiden!_

As he walks to the manager’s office to clock-in, he fails to notice a bespeckled young man sitting at the counter, watching him warily with tired eyes.

“Hey Soonie!” a sweet serving girl by the name Sana says as she waves at him after she finishes clocking-out.

“Hey Sana.” Soonyoung returns with a crooked smile. ”Your hair looks pretty today,” he acknowledges, taking in the sight of her curled hair. Sana’s expression brightens even more as she offers a sunny smile.

“Movie night at Tzuyu’s,” she answers in that chipper way of hers, her eyes softening at the mention of her girlfriend. Soonyoung tries to ignore the annoying stabby sensation that pricks at his heart.

“Oh yeah? Must be fun,” he casually offers, eying as Mingyu and Minghao playfully fight over the single pen next to the time-sheet. Jihoon barely dodges the scuffle and shoots an annoyed look at the couple before leaving the small room. Who tickles who first is a mystery that Soonyoung can’t place, but he’s so immersed by these brief moments that he fails to notice how Sana’s hand moves to latch gently onto his elbow, and before he can pry away in surprise, she’s already pulling him in.

“And there’s someone waiting for you at the counter,” she whispers, looking straight into Soonyoung’s eyes. Soonyoung’s heart skips a beat. Her expression is kind and open and words fail to leave Soonyoung’s mouth. “Junnie’s roommate and best friend. Wonwoo’s his name I believe?”

“Wonwoo?” the name leaves him as a question and Sana gives him a funny look.

“Yeah. The one who comes around to court you?”

 _“Court me?”_ Soonyoung chokes and Sana’s frown deepens even more.

“It’s what Junnie says.”

“Junnie’s a big fat liar.” Soonyoung mumbles and Sana’s face falls.

“Really? Because it’s all he ever gossips to Tzuyu about. And of course, Tzuyu tells me _everything—_ how Wonwoo’s been dying to come over to the waffle house for the past few weeks to see you but summer classes have been hell. Wonwoo really likes you and he’s been sitting on that barstool for the past 45 minutes waiting for you.”

“He’s been wanting to see me?” he asks blankly, and Sana nods.

“Go to him. He looks burnt out and unsure what to do or say. I’m confident it wasn’t his intention to ghost you,” her words are soft as she finally lets go of his elbow. “I heard you have a knack for making him smile.”

  


“Long time no see,” Soonyoung decides to speak up as he goes around behind the bar counter. Wonwoo, who had been staring thoughtfully into space, perks up immediately before giving Soonyoung a big smile.

“Yeaaah,” Wonwoo draws out bashfully, rubbing shyly at the back of his neck. “School’s been... hell to put it lightly,” he lets out a tired sounding chuckle. “Philosophy and psych are a terrible combination,” Soonyoung sucks air between his teeth and makes a noise of sympathy.

“Ouch.”

“Yeah. Big oof.”

The two lock eye contact, uncertain smiles mirroring each other, and from the corner of Soonyoung’s eye, he tries to avoid Jihoon’s watchful gaze.

“So what can I get you?”

“Would you by any chance have any tea?” Wonwoo replies, and Soonyoung watches curiously as the bespeckled student looks everywhere _but_ him.

“Yeah man. Well, not in a conventional sense anyway. Will peach iced tea be alright?”

Wonwoo’s eyes shift over to meet his, and there’s a contemplative silence before Wonwoo slowly nods.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’ll be good.”

“Sweetened or unsweetened?”

“Sweetened please.”

“On it!” Soonyoung offers a tiny but warm smile before turning around to the iced tea machine, but Wonwoo calls out again.

“Get yourself a glass, yeah?” Wonwoo says, and Soonyoung pauses in his steps before shooting Wonwoo a confused look.

“I don’t want—”

“Just please,” Wonwoo’s face is now tinged with red. “I want to talk with you, and you’re... gonna need a drink.” Wonwoo winces and looks like he’s ready to bolt, so Soonyoung smiles instead, in hopes to diminish Wonwoo’s misery.

_The things I do for cute boys who leave me ghosted..._

When Sooyoung returns with two glasses of iced tea, he pushes Wonwoo’s glass towards the sitting boy, who blinks at it warily before taking a cautious sip.

“Alright. So what’s up?” Soonyoung asks casually.

“So you know the advise you told me? About shooting my own shot?” Wonwoo begins awkwardly, gaze burning through his glass of ice tea. Soonyoung’s heart begins to race against his own volition.

“Yeah, what about it?” Soonyoung prompts casually, because he will _not_ freak and lose his cool right now. “Did you follow through?”

“Not yet.”

“Ah,” Soonyoung grabs for his own drink, hopeful to disguise how secretly pleased he is of this tiny news. He also feels awful for it.

“I’m gonna do it though. Today actually. Soon. I just... I wanna do it right.” Wonwoo closes his eyes and a rush of words flow past his lips in a whisper— _“goddammit Junnie, I hope you’re right about love language...”_

“You okay?” Soonyoung asks, feeling very lost all of a sudden of where this conversation is heading to. Wonwoo opens his eyes, and suddenly there’s a bold glit in them. Soonyoung can’t help but swallow at the sight of him. Wonwoo lifts his glass of tea in the air, but doesn’t drink. Instead, unblinkingly, he says:

 ** _“Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life’s true delights.”_** **[7]**

For a second there’s a silence. They hold a stare between the two of them. To Soonyoung, the whole world melts away. He feels the air get sucked out of his lungs.

“You... you—”

 _“_ I?” Wonwoo prompts, arching an eyebrow. “What did I do?” he says it in a careful whisper and there’s a hunger in his eyes that has Soonyoung’s heart racing on overdrive.

_He’s caught onto me._

“You quoted Avatar,” Soonyoung whisper-chokes. A smile slowly spreads on Wonwoo’s face, relief flooding his features, the intensity of his eyes subduing in an instant.

“I did.”

“It was Uncle Iroh who said it.”

“It was.”

“You caught me. At my own game.”

“Perhaps I did,” Wonwoo’s smile turns cheeky and Soonyoung feels himself fall.

“But I meant it though,” Wonwoo continues earnestly. “This, sharing tea with you now, _you,_ a familiar stranger— I want to get to know you more. You fascinate me. And I... I like you. A lot. So if we can do this properly—”

“Yes,” Soonyoung interrupts, and he blushes as Wonwoo’s eyes widen. “I mean, I like you too. A lot. I’d like to get to know you too,” Soonyoung bites down on his lower lip nervously, and he nearly jumps back when he feels Wonwoo’s tentative fingers take hold of his hand.

“Hey, you okay?” Wonwoo asks, a gentle smile just barely there on his lips.

“Yeah,” Soonyoung breaths out, and this time it feels easier to grin. “I’m feeling great.”

“So how about Saturday then? You’re free aren’t you?”

“You already know my schedule right? You don’t need to ask,” Soonyoung raises an eyebrow and Wonwoo rolls his eyes fondly.

“So eager aren’t you?” he teases and Soonyoung blushes, looking down to find Wonwoo still holding onto his hand. Wonwoo gives his hand a squeeze. “I asked because I didn’t want to interrupt any plans.”

“He’s free, please take him off our hands!” Jihoon butts in, and Soonyoung nearly jumps out of his skin, forgetting that they’re in public, at his workplace, under his co-workers’ watchful eyes. Wonwoo chuckles as Soonyoung throws a glare in Jihoon’s direction, but he finds that behind Jihoon’s smirk, there’s warmth and approval hiding beneath the surface.

“So its a date then,” Wonwoo announces, and when Soonyoung looks back, he finds Wonwoo watching him with adoration in his eyes.

“It’s definitely a date.”

**Author's Note:**

> And then they find out they were destined to be couch potatoes together and they lived happily ever after, the end :)
> 
>  
> 
> The origins of Soonyoung’s quotes:
> 
> [1] “Authority should derive from the consent of the governed, not from the threat of force.” -Barbie, from “Toy Story 3”
> 
> [2] “The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma.” -Patrick Star, from “SpongeBob”
> 
> [3] "The greatest weakness of most humans is their hesitancy to tell others how much they love them while they're alive." -Optimus Prime, from “Transformers”
> 
> [4] “Chaos is a ladder.” -Petyr Baelish, from “Game of Thrones”
> 
> [5] “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” -orig. said by someone named Wayne Gretzky, quoted by Michael Scott, from “The Office” .
> 
> [6] “Do you think God stays in heaven because he, too, lives in fear of what he's created?” - “Spy Kids 2”
> 
> [7] “Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life’s true delights. -Uncle Iroh, from “Avatar: the Last Airbender”


End file.
